Now in Association with

Ashton Hayes Community Energy CIC

Located in rural Cheshire, Ashton Hayes is a well knit community of about 1000 people that is aiming to become England's first carbon neutral community. We started our journey in January 2006 and since then we have already cut our carbon dioxide emissions significantly - by working together, sharing ideas and through behavioural change. We now have our community owned renewable energy company.

This website encapsulates our journey towards carbon neutrality and offers free advice and guidance. Please feel free to use anything from our website (we'd like a credit if you can).

The AGM of the Ashton Hayes Community Energy Company was held at the Parish Rooms on 15 March and chaired by Professor Roy Alexander. Roy welcomed Richard Straddling onto the AHCE Board and gave a review of the year and plans ahead. A debate followed and there was a good discussion about potential projects and things that need doing. Here is the slide set from the meeting. If you wish to join the Energy Company as a member please contact Kate Harrison kate.harrison2@btopenworld.com.

On 11th November 2017 the community bade farewell to Garry and Anne Charnock

Ashton Hayes Community Energy (GCN project), AHSRA and members from the Parish Council and community shop threw a party in the Pavilion to say thanks and goodbye to Garry & Anne Charnock. Garry thought up the idea of the Carbon Neutral Project in 2005 and has worked, with Roy Alexander and many others, on reducing the village carbon fooprint for the past 12 years. The group wished them both a happy time in their new home on the Island of Bute - which is trying to be a carbon neutral and zero waste island! They say they will pay regular visits to Ashton Hayes.

We are delighted that Ashton Hayes has been featured, along with several other sustainable UK locations, in a new film by Maxime Carmas & Jérémy Stobrec of Chasing Tomorrow.

The film explains how Maxime and Jérémy decided to give up their 'normal' lives to see what they could do about environmental issues. And as a first step they decided to visit places in the UK that are trying to do their bit for the environment. Ashton Hayes gets a 10 minute section at the end of the hour long video.

The video quality is fabulous and it is fun to watch. See the video here.

The guys are now looking at other projecst across Europe and plan to make a series of films about community action

08 March 2017. Sarah Winget, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia, USA and her colleague Matt Ruby, brought 23 students to Ashton Hayes today to learn about our Going Carbon Neutral project. They had heard of us from the New York Times article last August and were keen for the students to learn more about our project as part of their Global Challenges course. The visit began with a tour of the sports pavilion followed by a short slide show and a discussion session, during which Kate and Maria provided hot drinks and pastries. After a few minutes in the play area the group visited the community shop where they purchased a range of goods from souvenirs to meat pies. We ended the tour at the village school, where Matt Hover, the headmaster, told the group about our solar panels.